Business Roundtable

Washington – Following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, Business Roundtable CEOs have committed, thus far, more than $17 million in cash and in-kind donations to help meet the urgent needs for the millions affected by the damage. Additionally, many member companies are encouraging their employees to become involved in the relief effort by setting up matching gift programs.

“Business Roundtable CEOs and our member companies are deeply saddened by the loss of life and infrastructure damage in Haiti,” said Michael T. Dan, Chairman, President and CEO of The Brink’s Company and Chair of Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response.

To date, contributions have included:

• Supplies and products, including food, bottled beverages, pharmaceuticals and water treatment units from PepsiCo, McKesson, Abbott, Merck & Co., Procter & Gamble, ITT Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company and Wal-mart Stores, Inc.
• Ongoing support to the American Red Cross and international relief agencies, including Save the Children, World Vision and Mercy Corps, from American Express Company, AT&T, FedEx, Morgan Stanley, Verizon Communications, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Inc., IBM, W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Humana

In addition to matching the needs with the diverse assets companies can provide, Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response is serving as an intermediary between the U.S. government, international relief agencies, including Mercy Corps, Save the Children and World Vision, as well as the American Red Cross about what is needed on the ground.

“We are overwhelmed by contributions that our member companies have made to the relief effort in Haiti, and we will continue to work closely with our partners and the U.S. government to determine the best way to help aid relief efforts in Haiti,” said John J. Castellani, President of Business Roundtable. Business Roundtable member companies have long been recognized as corporate leaders in the area of disaster relief.

Business Roundtable created the Partnership for Disaster Response following the Asian tsunami in 2004, and it was first activated after Hurricane Katrina. The strength of the Partnership is the relationships it has built between the corporate community, federal government and relief agencies.

A detailed list of Business Roundtable member companies’ donations to the Haiti relief effort is available at www.respondtodisaster.org.